Written Answers Friday 8 February 2008

Scottish Executive

Culture

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what legislative changes it believes are required to ensure that dealing in tainted cultural objects does not occur in Scotland.

Linda Fabiani: While we are not aware that Scotland has a problem with this type of illicit activity at present, the government remains sympathetic to such legislation and we are looking at the options available to us, including examining legislation that already exists such as the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003. This will assist ministers in determining how best to proceed.

Digital Technology

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the proportion of households with access to broadband was in (a) Scotland and (b) the Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency in each of the last four years, broken down by (i) social class of household and (ii) level of deprivation of the area in which the household was located.

Jim Mather: The data provided in this response are taken from the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) datasets for 2003-04 and 2005-06; data for individual years 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 would not be statistically representative at a local authority level and have not been provided. However, while the 2003-04 and 2005-06 data are also not representative for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, they are reasonably.

  1. Two pieces of information may be relevant to the response on access to broadband: the first covers all households and the second covers all households with internet access.

  2. The proportion of all households with access to broadband in 2005-06 compared to 2003-04:

  

Scotland:
2005-06: 34%


2003-04: 11%


Kilmarnock and Loudoun
2005-06: 29%


2003-04: 8%



  3. The proportion of households where adults use the internet with access to broadband in 2005-06 compared to 2003-04:

  

Scotland:
2005-06: 65%


2003-04: 24%


Kilmarnock and Loudon:
2005-06: 63%


2003-04: 22%



  4. In terms of the break down, due to the small sample size, it is not possible to provide statistically reliable results for Kilmarnock and Loudoun broken down by socio-economic classification or Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). However, the Scotland data can be broken down. These are presented in the tables in the background note.

  5. Please note we no longer use the social class scale based on occupation. This has been replaced by the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC). Data are therefore provided below for socio-economic classification instead of social class. Level of deprivation are also provided.

Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5526 by Jim Mather on 12 November 2007, what progress has been made in the discussions with Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern Energy on a feasibility study for carbon capture and storage.

Jim Mather: A range of private and public sector partners, including the Scottish Government, are taking forward a feasibility study to consider potential carbon storage sites, both onshore and offshore, along with an appraisal of options regarding the transportation of CO 2 and an analysis of the commercial and economic models for the development of relevant infrastructure in Scotland.

  In addition, Scottish Power, in partnership with Scottish and Southern Energy and other partners announced on 3 December 2007 that it would undertake a separate technical study identifying the feasibility of specific carbon storage sites close to existing power stations. The Scottish Government welcomes the contribution that this study will make to enhancing our understanding of the feasibility of carbon storage in Scotland.

Finance

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy priorities are in respect of the distribution of its share of funding from the UK unclaimed assets scheme.

Jim Mather: We have been working with the UK Government to ensure that Scotland’s share of any assets released through the Dormant Bank and Building Societies Accounts Bill is spent on Scotland’s priorities.

  The Scottish Government intends to consult widely with the third sector and others in the New Year on the policy priorities for distribution and will welcome all contributions to this discussion.

Finance

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a response to the Howat report.

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which recommendations of the Howat report it has accepted.

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which recommendations of the Howat report it has rejected.

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which recommendations of the Howat report it is still considering.

John Swinney: On 24 May 2007, this government published the Budget Review report, written by an independent external group, as promised in It’s time to look forwards - the first 100 days of an SNP Government . By then, the report was over one year old. The report was written in the context of the priorities of the previous administration. We did not promise and we do not intend to publish a response to the report. The Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 set out our detailed spending plans.

Homecoming Scotland

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8801 by Cathy Jamieson on 31 January 2008, which local authorities have given an early indication that they intend to allocate funding to Homecoming Scotland.

Jim Mather: EventScotland is aware that a number of local authorities are considering providing funding in support of Homecoming Scotland projects, but none have yet confirmed such funding. It is for local authorities to decide how they allocate their funding.

Identity Cards

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will maintain the position of the previous administration that ID cards will not be required to access devolved services.

John Swinney: Scottish interests in relation to devolved services are protected by section 43 of the Identity Cards Act 2006 which specifies that the National Identity Register or an identity card issued under the act can only be used in relation to matters which are reserved to Westminster, or in accordance with an act of the Scottish Parliament.

  The Scottish Government will maintain the position of the previous administration that the UK ID card will not be required to access devolved services.

Income Tax

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any consideration has been given since May 2007 to making use of the power to raise income tax by up to 3p in the pound.

John Swinney: In accordance with the agreement between the Scottish government and the Parliament’s Finance Committee the statement on Page 78 of Scottish Budget: Spending Review 200 7 confirms that the Scottish Government will not use the existing tax raising powers in 2008-09.

Local Government Concordat

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether there will be any requirement on local authorities to report progress on the single outcome agreements publicly and locally.

John Swinney: Yes. Under the new arrangements set out in the concordat between the Scottish Government and local government, councils will be required to provide timely and transparent reporting to the Scottish Government and to local communities on progress against agreed outcomes and indicators.

Local Government Concordat

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what its definitions are of "outcome", "target" and "indicator" and what the difference is between (a) each term and (b) these terms and the commitments referred to on page 2 of the concordat.

John Swinney: The definitions of "outcome", "target", and "indicator" for the purpose of single outcome agreements are set out in the draft guidance document Single Outcome Agreements: Guidance, Format & Indicators for Scottish Local Government issued by COSLA to all local authorities on 5 February 2008.

  The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to local authorities on how to structure and compile their draft outcome agreements. The document also provides definitions for, and differentiates between, national and local outcomes, indicators, and targets. The same definitions apply to these terms when they are referred to in the concordat.

  The draft guidance document can be found on the Improvement Service website at:

  http://www.improvementservice.org.uk/news/news-across-scotland/single-outcome-agreement---guidance-format-and-indicators-package-issued.html.

Local Government Concordat

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what its definitions are of "progress" and "towards" and how these will be measured.

John Swinney: Many of the outcomes and other commitments from the concordat to be agreed for each local authority will be realised over a period of more than one year. There will be annual measures of progress against many longer term targets which will be agreed between the Scottish Government and local government.

Local Government Concordat

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what its definition is of "delivery of key government policies and programmes".

John Swinney: There are a number of key policies and programmes outlined in the concordat that the Scottish Government and local government are committed to delivering. In addition, we will work together, through COSLA, to develop policy in areas where local government has a key interest.

Local Government Concordat

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether "to ensure delivery" means delivery in full or in part.

John Swinney: This depends on the particular government policy or programme in question. For some, we would expect delivery in full, and for others, we would expect an agreed level of progress towards an agreed outcome.

Local Government Concordat

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6578 by John Swinney on 12 December 2007, how many times each year ministers will report to the Local Government Committee and the Parliament on progress in relation to single outcome agreements.

John Swinney: Parliamentary scrutiny will be an essential part of monitoring progress in relation to single outcome agreements. I will be writing to the Convenor of the Local Government and Communities Committee in due course outlining how I propose the process of reporting to the committee and to the Parliament be taken forward.

Local Government Concordat

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6578 by John Swinney on 12 December 2007, whether reports by ministers to the Local Government Committee and the Parliament on progress in relation to single outcome agreements will be in written form.

John Swinney: Parliamentary scrutiny will be an essential part of monitoring progress in relation to single outcome agreements. I will be writing to the Convenor of the Local Government and Communities Committee in due course outlining how I propose the process of reporting to the committee and to the Parliament be taken forward.

Local Government Finance

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority received from the Efficiency and Reform Fund in each year of the 2004 spending review.

John Swinney: The first year (2005-06) of the SR04 Spending Review made provision for a Modernising Government Fund. This was a means to support innovation in the public sector, to address policy priorities and particularly to support and promote ‘joined up’ working.

  The Efficiency and Reform Fund (ERF) (a merger of the two separate funding streams of the Modernising Government Fund and Efficient Government Fund) promoted efficiency improvements across the public sector. The ERF began in 2006-07 and runs until March 2007-08. A breakdown of the amount each authority received for the three year funding period is detailed:

  

 
Modernising Government Fund
Efficiency and Reform Fund
Efficiency and Reform Fund


Local Authority
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08


Aberdeen City
£765,750
£31,226
£150,000


Aberdeenshire
£491,750
£0
£150,000


Angus
£331,250
£0
£150,000


Argyll and Bute
£649,250
£0
£150,000


Clackmannanshire
£556,750
£350,000
£415,000


Dumfries and Galloway
£479,750
£0
£150,000


Dundee City
£562,750
£247,000
£415,000


East Ayrshire
£377,750
£56,296
£150,000


East Dunbartonshire
£249,750
£0
£150,000


East Lothian
£305,250
£0
£150,000


East Renfrewshire
£198,750
£0
£190,000


Edinburgh, City of
£603,750
£761,250
£750,000


Eilean Siar
£236,750
£0
£180,000


Falkirk
£572,750
£0
£150,000


Fife
£455,750
£13,017
£150,000


Glasgow City
£451,750
£798,371
£750,000


Highland
£374,750
£0
£150,000


Inverclyde
£411,750
£0
£150,000


Midlothian
£746,750
£0
£150,000


Moray
£608,750
£0
£470,000


North Ayrshire
£456,750
£0
£150,000


North Lanarkshire
£685,750
£0
£150,000


Orkney
£100,750
£90,723
£730,000


Perth and Kinross
£521,750
£0
£150,000


Renfrewshire
£402,750
£100,000
£4,650,000


Scottish Borders
£410,750
£0
£150,000


Shetland
£150,750
£125,000
£150,000


South Ayrshire
£153,750
£0
£150,000


South Lanarkshire
£539,750
£506,000
£1,884,000


Stirling
£488,750
£0
£1,105,000


West Dunbartonshire
£165,750
£17,257
£150,000


West Lothian
£249,750
£0
£400,000


Scotland
£13,758,500
£3,096,140
£14,939,000

National Health Service

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what funds are being made available to NHS boards and special health boards for 2008-09 with special reference to NHS Lothian.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards and special health boards have been given an initial general revenue allocation of £8,048.2 million for 2008-09, an average increase over the equivalent 2007-08 allocation of 3.3%.

  All NHS boards and special health boards have received a standard increase of 3.15%. In addition, the Scottish Government has provided additional resources to those boards who are below both their Arbuthnott and NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) target allocations in 2008-09 in advance of any decision on implementation of the NRAC recommendations. These boards are NHS Lothian, NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Grampian, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Orkney.

  In addition to these initial general allocations, there will be access to additional funding for a number of health priorities announced in the Scottish Budget Spending Review on 14 November 2007 including significant investment in supporting health improvement and reducing health inequalities, ensuring that people receive high quality services when they need them and prioritising treatment and care for patient groups with particular needs.

  Details of NHS boards and special health boards initial general revenue allocations for 2008-09 are as follows:

  

NHS Board
2008-09£ Million
% Uplift


NHS Ayrshire and Arran 
546.7
3.15


NHS Borders 
158.9
3.15


NHS Dumfries and Galloway 
228.1
3.15


NHS Fife 
479.7
3.81


NHS Forth Valley 
375.5
3.50


NHS Grampian 
646.3
3.46


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
1,790.9
3.15


NHS Highland 
459.6
3.15


NHS Lanarkshire 
760.5
3.52


NHS Lothian 
963.0
3.47


NHS Orkney 
29.7
3.64


NHS Shetland 
34.9
3.15


NHS Tayside 
566.4
3.15


NHS Western Isles 
55.2
3.15


Total
7,095.4
3.33



  

 
2008-09
  (£ Million)
% Uplift


Special Health Board
 
 


Scottish Ambulance Service
183.4
3.15


National Services Scotland
247.1
3.15


NHS 24
53.4
3.15


The State Hospitals Board for Scotland
33.7
3.15


National Waiting Times Centre
40.0
3.15


NHS Education for Scotland
361.7
3.15


NHS Health Scotland
17.3
3.15


NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
16.2
3.15


Total
952.8
3.15

Planning

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8475 by Michael Russell on 24 January 2008, what its policy is on the role of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in the planning process and, in particular, on the size and nature of planning applications against which it should consider submitting official objections.

Michael Russell: SNH plays an important role in the planning system.

  SNH is a statutory consultee on several categories of planning applications and has a duty to respond to all such consultations. The decision to object to any particular planning application will be a matter for SNH to consider, based on the details of the proposal and its likely impacts on natural heritage. The First Minister on 30 January announced the Scottish Government’s commitment to simplifying Scotland’s public services to deliver more effective government. Part of this approach involves streamline decision making and increasing transparency. I look forward to discussing with SNH the implications of the Heriot Watt report and how it can help towards achievement of that objective.

Prison Service

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Prison Service advised ministers that Robert Foye had absconded.

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers were advised by the Scottish Prison Service of Robert Foye’s abscondment.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond.

  His response is as follows:

  Scottish ministers are not routinely advised of absconds.

Rail Freight

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line will be fully operational for transport freight.

Stewart Stevenson: The construction of the railway is due to be completed in spring 2008 and available for the operation of freight trains following a period of commissioning and driver training in summer 2008.

Renewable Energy

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has with regards to funding a second round of the Scottish Biomass Support Scheme.

Jim Mather: Following the spending review, substantial additional funding is available for microgeneration and community renewables, including biomass projects. The Scottish Government is currently considering future support for biomass projects outside these categories, and will take into account the potential to increase support for biomass under the Renewables Obligation as well as the progress made by projects under the current Scottish Biomass Support Scheme.

Schools

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to question S3F-191 on 4 October 2007 indicating the Executive’s commitment to match the previous administration’s school building programme brick for brick and not to use the private finance initiative for this purpose ( Official Report c. 2465), how it intends to finance its school building programme and when the necessary finance will become available.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Budget and the concordat signed by the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities provide revenue resources which include support for PPP projects, as well as significant growth in the capital resources being made available to local authorities. There is almost £3 billion over the three year period 2008-09 to 2010-11 to secure investment in schools and other local government infrastructure, including an extra £115 million in 2008-09 which can be invested in schools if authorities so choose. The local government capital budget represents an average increase of 15% in each year of the settlement compared to 2007-08 figures.

  The overall local government settlement enables the government to match the previous Executive’s school building programme brick for brick.

Scottish Government Expenditure

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24534 by Tom McCabe on 21 April 2006, whether it will publish comparative data on total managed expenditure in real terms for each year from 1996-97 to 2010-11, broken down by department.

John Swinney: The information is shown in the following table. It should be noted that there will be slight differences from the data provided in the response to question S2W-24534 mainly as a result of the Scottish Government restructuring last year and the rebasing of real terms numbers to 2007-08 prices.

  

 
1996-97Outturn
(£ Million)
1997-98Outturn
  (£ Million)
1998-99Outturn
(£ Million)
1999-2000Outturn 
(£ Million)
2000-01Outturn
  (£ Million)


OFM
153
157
146
145
143


Finance and Sustainable Growth (inc Local Government)
8,526
7,972
7,762
7,985
8,083


Health and Wellbeing
6,031
5,971
6,118
6,197
6,563


Education and Lifelong Learning
1,623
1,714
1,697
1,867
2,066


Justice
1,053
1,065
1,046
1,124
1,137


Rural Affairs and the Environment
282
314
309
299
295


Administration
224
191
199
209
213


Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal
63
60
64
64
67


General Register Office of Scotland
3
7
6
6
12


National Archives of Scotland
7
6
4
5
7


Off of the Scottish Charity Regulator
-
-
-
-
-


Forestry Commission (Scotland)
-
-
-
25
41


Food Standards Agency
-
-
-
-
4


Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
-
-
8
56
77


Audit Scotland
-
-
-
-
5


Total Budget
17,964
17,456
17,357
17,982
18,713



  

 
2001-02Outturn
(£ Million)
2002-03Outturn
  (£ Million)
2003-04Outturn
  (£ Million)
2004-05Outturn
  (£ Million)
2005-06Outturn
(£ Million)


OFM
162
162
177
193
203


Finance and Sustainable Growth (inc Local Government)
8,693
9,264
10,025
9,754
10,223


Health and Wellbeing
7,363
7,951
7,955
8,474
8,838


Education and Lifelong Learning
2,339
2,417
2,303
2,489
2,601


Justice
1,248
1,230
1,286
1,457
1,520


Rural Affairs and the Environment
404
403
518
482
521


Administration
250
220
229
246
254


Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal
76
91
94
92
91


General Register Office of Scotland
5
8
7
5
9


National Archives of Scotland
9
11
10
7
6


Off of the Scottish Charity Regulator
-
-
-
-
-


Forestry Commission (Scotland)
27
45
47
50
52


Food Standards Agency
7
5
7
8
11


Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
162
170
204
177
66


Audit Scotland
5
6
7
9
5


Total Budget
20,750
21,624
22,868
23,445
24,399



  

 
2006-07Prov. Outturn
  (£ Million)
2007-08Budget
  (£ Million)
2008-09Plans(£ Million)
2009-10Plans(£ Million)
2010-11Plans(£ Million)


OFM
220
253
241
247
250


Finance and Sustainable Growth (inc Local Government)
10,809
10,980
12,215
12,463
12,756


Health and Wellbeing
9,376
9,652
9,296
9,538
9,519


Education and Lifelong Learning
3,029
3,047
2,349
2,363
2,388


Justice
1,501
1,534
1,610
1,637
1,622


Rural Affairs and the Environment
514
603
491
495
493


Administration
241
245
219
218
218


Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal
102
98
103
108
107


General Register Office of Scotland
8
12
10
13
19


National Archives of Scotland
9
11
9
8
8


Off of the Scottish Charity Regulator
3
3
3
3
3


Forestry Commission (Scotland)
73
75
70
72
72


Food Standards Agency
11
10
10
10
11


Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
71
71
73
73
73


Audit Scotland
11
10
7
7
7


Total Budget
25,977
26,680
26,707
27,256
27,548



  Notes:

  1. This Table updates the information previously provided in the comparative trend data which was published on the Scottish Government website in October 2004 (and updated in the response to question S2W-24534). While the data is mostly comparative over the period, and can in many cases be reconciled with previously published information, it does not accurately reflect the accounts. This data should, therefore, only be used as a tool for identifying trends in expenditure. A more accurate reflection of expenditure trends over the last 10 years or so can be found in Annex B of Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007.

  2. All numbers are on a cash and accruals basis (i.e. capital charges have been excluded).

  3. NHS (Scotland) and Scottish Teacher’s pension income and expenditure has been excluded from calculations

  4. As CAP Market Support and European Structural Funds budgets are offset in DEL, from 2006-07 onwards, by funding from Europe, for comparative purposes the expenditure has been omitted from this table for all years.

  5. Other one-off expenditure has also been excluded.

  6. Transfers between portfolios have where possible been made for all years on the basis of the 2007-08 position for comparability.

  7. Figures at 2007-08 prices using GDP deflators as at 20 December 2007.

Scottish Prison Commission

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Commission will examine the specific role of open prisons.

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Commission will examine the criteria for individuals being sent to open prisons.

Kenny MacAskill: The remit of the commission on the use of prisons in Scotland includes examining the role and the use the open estate and the criteria for individuals transferring there.

Scottish Prison Commission

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Scottish Prison Commission has met since its creation in September 2007 and on what dates and where the meetings have taken place.

Kenny MacAskill: The commission on the use of prisons in Scotland has met three times. It has taken evidence on two occasions and visited three prisons. Details of the main meetings are shown below.

  

Date
Venue


24 October 2007
The Scotsman Hotel, Edinburgh


6 December 2007
Apex City Hotel, Dundee


28 January 2008
Edinburgh Prison

Scottish Prison Commission

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all members of the Scottish Prison Commission have been in attendance at each of its meetings and, if not, which members did not attend which meetings.

Kenny MacAskill: Details of members not in attendance at meetings of the commission on the use of prisons in Scotland are shown below.

  

Date
Members Not in Attendance


24 October 2007
Dr Dotter-Schiller Josephine McLean


6 December 2007
Geraldine Gammell


28 January 2008
Dr Dotter-Schiller Geraldine Gammell Josephine McLean

Scottish Prison Commission

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the minutes of the meetings of the Scottish Prison Commission and, if so, when it will do so.

Kenny MacAskill: The minutes of meetings of the commission on the Use of Prisons in Scotland are published on its website www.scottishprisonscommission.info.

Scottish Prison Commission

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has cost to establish the Scottish Prison Commission and what it expects the final cost of the commission to be.

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of Scottish Prison Commission costs, including (a) staffing, (b) office and administration, (c) travel expenses for members, (d) other expenses for members, (e) consultation and advertising and (f) commissioning of research.

Kenny MacAskill: £0.25 million has been made available from existing Scottish Government resources to cover the Commission’s remit. Given the fluid nature of the Commission’s work plan it is not possible at this stage to accurately forecast all likely costs. However, a breakdown of costs is being maintained and will be published.

Scottish Prison Commission

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Commission has taken evidence from individuals or organisations, other than the members of the commission, and, if so, from whom.

Kenny MacAskill: The commission has so far taken evidence from Jason McDonald, COSLA, Chris Hawkes, Lothian and Borders Community Justice Authority, Susan Matheson, SACRO, Alexander Cameron, Parole Board for Scotland, Mike Ewart, Scottish Prison Service, David McKenna, Victim Support Scotland and the Prison Officers Association. Further evidence sessions are planned and details of these will be published on the Commission’s website:

  www.scottishprisonscommission.info.

Scottish Prison Commission

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Commission has commissioned any external research and, if so, on what issues and from whom.

Kenny MacAskill: The commission has commissioned no external research to date.

Scottish Prison Commission

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Commission intends to launch a public consultation on the purpose and impact of imprisonment in contemporary Scotland.

Kenny MacAskill: One of the commission’s objectives is to raise public awareness of the use of prisons in contemporary Scotland by providing better information to allow a deeper understanding of the options, outcomes and costs. As part of its work plan, the commission intends to have public events and details will be included on the website. There is also an opportunity for the public to send in comments on the website www.scottishprisonscommission.info.

Scottish Prison Commission

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it still expects to receive the report of the Scottish Prison Commission by the end of June 2008 and, if so, whether the report will be published by the end of June 2008.

Kenny MacAskill: The commission on the use of prisons is expected to report to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice by the end of June 2008 and the report will be published shortly thereafter.

Scottish Prison Commission

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive who decided the membership of the Scottish Prison Commission.

Kenny MacAskill: The Cabinet Secretary for Justice appointed the members of the commission on the use of prisons in October 2007.